


Most Likely to Hack the FBI

by somewhereelse



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 13:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7269718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somewhereelse/pseuds/somewhereelse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Season 2.5. How Diggle earned an impromptu night off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Most Likely to Hack the FBI

It was the senior superlative she ”won” in high school. In truth, one of her best friends was the yearbook editor, and when the staff was tossing around suggestions, she thought it was a funny category with the added benefit of being a guaranteed lock for her antisocial friend.

So they staged a photoshoot in the school's rinkydink computer lab, and Felicity Smoak was memorialized on a page of the yearbook that wasn't just her (not pictured) senior portrait. Donna still has a photocopy stuck to the fridge door; a sign of her mother's pride, even when she lacked understanding, that Felicity had chosen to ignore until recently.

Years later, when the perfect posture she pointedly maintains is strained under the weight of the day and the cold of the Arrow cave (because it's not truly an Arrow cave if it isn't cold), she can't help but remember the distinction. She wants to call Jennifer and share the inside joke but that would mean admitting to numerous past and ongoing criminal activities.

”What's so funny over there?”

Diggle is slightly winded when he asks the question, and she looks up in time to see Oliver nail him in the thigh with a stick. It doesn't break Digg's smile, as if her amusement is enough to keep him in good spirits through what is clearly a low blow.After a moment, Oliver's (nearly) full attention is trained on her, apparently having decided that he wants in on whatever she and Digg are about to discuss. Diggle uses the opportunity to twitch his wrist and smack Oliver in the back of the head.

”I just remembered that I was voted Most Likely to Hack the FBI in high school.”

It's enough to draw attention away from what would have Oliver's whine and cold shoulder in response to the retaliatory head shot. ”That was a category at your school?”

She hums for a second, thinking of the best way to describe what was a slightly unique high school tradition. ”They had the standards and a couple Vegas-themed ones but would toss in a few wild cards every year.”

Oliver makes a face and so she rolls her eyes. ”What was yours, Oliver? Most likely to get arrested? Most likely to drop out of four universities?”

He grumbles under his breath and turns away to tidy up the equipment he and Digg had been using. ”What was that? Didn't quite hear you there, Oliver,” Digg teases even as he wipes down and wanders over to stand by her and the computers.

There is a long silence where Felicity assumes he just won't answer. It's not as if she couldn't find out through some creative hacking of his high school library or searching the archives of a gossip site, but sometimes he needs to be reminded that he had a life before becoming the Arrow-bot.

They're both surprised when he comes to stand before them, red-faced and staring at his bare feet. With the monitors as some kind of shield between them, he mumbles, ”Cutest Couple with Laurel.”

Felicity bites down on her reaction, but Diggle doesn't bother and barks out a laugh that echoes through the cavernous space. To detract attention from Oliver's responding scowl, she returns the question in kind, ”What was yours, John?”

”Most Athletic.” Digg musters up a somewhat fond smile, and Felicity feels her lips turn up in a grin.

”Understatement for sure.” Felicity ignores the quietly offended ”hey” from Oliver. ”Oh the glory days. Can you imagine if we'd all been in high school together? God that would have been a complete disaster.

”Cutest Couple over there would have tried to pay you to hack the system and change his grades only to end up chasing you like a lovesick puppy all over the computer lab.” Digg stops chuckling long enough to notice the twin expressions of surprise and mild horror on his friends' faces. "Shit. I didn't think Felicity's lack of filter was contagious."

Her own offended "hey", much louder and more indignant than Oliver's previous one, is also lost in the sudden commotion of said vigilante fumbling his way into a shirt and shoes then scrambling up the metal stairs, all the while mumbling about dinner with Thea. Who he will later remember is on a date with Roy. 

"That's a new one," Digg comments idly while she gapes at Oliver's roadrunner impression. "Note to self: next time I want a night off, just bring up the unbelievably awkward crush you two have on each other."

Felicity's silent gape quickly turns into indignant spluttering until she almost visibly gets ahold of herself. "3, 2--I have to go," she concludes abruptly, gathering her tablet and purse before making tracks.

Diggle collapses into the vacated chair and surveys the suddenly empty foundry, his new kingdom. "Better yet, Most Likely to Rule the World."


End file.
